A pleasant surpriseCostco American Expressrebates help members weatherthe tough economy By Will Fifield

A FLOWER SHOP owner in Arizona was able
to buy items for his business that just weren’t
in his budget, thanks to his Costco American
Express rebate coupon. A family in Virginia
used their rebate coupon to buy groceries and
household staples in order to stretch their
personal budget. A member in Idaho had
been saving for a food processor. Her rebate
coupon enabled her to get
a very high-quality model
that makes cooking at
home easier.

They may use
their annual rebate
coupons in different
ways, but Costco
members across the
country are finding
that the money
they earn back from
their TrueEarnings® Card

from Costco and American Express is helping
them weather the economic downturn.

“We use our American Express–Costco
cards for all of our purchases,” says David
McKeough, a member in Pennsylvania. “It’s
money that we’d be spending anyway, but the
great thing about using our card is that we’re
able to use the rebate checks to do things that
would otherwise be next to impossible.”

Costco members earn a n
annual rebate by using the TrueEarnings Card from Costco
and American Express at Costco
and all the other places that take

American Express Cards. The rebate coupons are part of the las t
page of February’s statemen t.

There is no limit on
this rebate, so the

more you spend the

more you earn

back. The rebat e
expires in August,

but most mem -
bers have no trouble spending it before then.

The TrueEarnings Card from Costco and
American Express is fee-free with your paid
Costco membership and offers cash back in
the following percentages:

3 PERCENT cash back at restaurants as

2 PERCENT cash back on travel expense s

1 PERCENT cash back on eligible well as on gasoline purchases at Costco
gas stations and other domestic gas
stations that are not part of a retail
or grocery chain

purchases elsewhere—including Costco

The rebate coupons

are part of the last pageof February’s statement.There is no limit onthis rebate, so the moreyou spend the more

you earn back.

While some members use the
money they earn back in very practical

ways, others use the money for purchases that

enhance their lives but elude their pocket-

books—things such as big-screen televisions,

R eap the reward
T O SIGN UP for a TrueEarnings Card,
a pply at the membership desk of your
l ocal Costco warehouse. To apply online,
v isit Costco.com, click “Membership,”
then click “The TrueEarnings® Card from
Costco and American Express.” Follow
the prompts to the “Apply Now” link,